Clovis, Calif. – After being diagnosed with dementia, Jim Doyle was admitted to Orchard Park Assisted Living for 24-hour assistance. Unfortunately, it’s alleged that the facility retained Doyle as a resident even though they did not have enough staff to monitor and assist him; and as a result, he sustained multiple falls and injuries, and a series of pressure sores, which eventually culminated his death.

“Rather than disclose the wounds that Jim developed under the facility’s care, it is alleged that Orchard Park Assisted Living intentionally concealed this information from his family in violation of California state regulations and laws,” said Attorney Stephen Garcia. “Orchard Park Assisted Living was a non-medical RCFE facility. We allege that despite knowing that Jim required skilled nursing care, a higher level of care than they could lawfully provide, they retained him as a resident anyway for their own financial gain in ignorance of what Jim really needed. The complaint alleges, and the facts appear to support, the facility just neglected Jim in complete ignorance of the regulations governing the operations of Orchard Park until his wounds became so severe that it ultimately killed him.”

Allegations and Background

In March 2014, Doyle was admitted to Orchard Park Assisted Living, suffering from dementia and requiring assistance with all of his activities of daily living. Prior to his admission, Doyle was at high risk for developing pressure sores, which required specific and special interventions – a fact well-known to the facility.

The lawsuit states that Doyle required constant attention and care to his skin, such as turning and repositioning his body, making sure he was clean and dry from feces and urine, and making sure he was properly hydrated.

Upon his admission, the facility warranted that they had enough staff to care for Doyle; however, it’s clear that was not the case. The lawsuit alleges that Doyle’s daughter would visit the facility and find his room filthy with urine and feces covering the floors, walls and bed. She would also find Doyle with feces on his hands and clothes, as well as soiled laundry on the floor of his room. The lawsuit states that when Doyle’s daughter complained to facility’s staff about the filthy conditions, the staff would tell her that cleaning was not their job.

To make matters worse, the lawsuit states that the facility’s staff concealed the horrible pressure sores Doyle developed from his family and physician. His daughter did not find out about the pressure sores until late December 2016. At that time, she was told by a nurse that her father had three sores on his back that were already infected. Later, she found out from another staff member that they were instructed not to tell her about the sores.

In addition to concealing the pressure sores, the facility allegedly lied to Doyle’s daughter, telling her that the sores were healing, when in reality, they were not. As a result of the facility’s continued negligence, Doyle suffered multiple falls resulting in a head injury, severe urinary tract infection requiring hospitalization, as well as an infected pressure sore which culminated his death on January 13, 2017.

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